The Baby Seals - "Irene"

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Photo by Jeff Pitcher

Cambridgeshire's The Baby Seals are back with a new single that changes up their sound considerably. For "Irene," they've all but abandoned the fun punk sound of 2024's Chaos for more of an art punk sound. It's slower, but more intense. There's a strong sense of menace throughout the track, originally called "Ode to Irene's C...," and the whole thing comes out a little extra punk because of it. The song maintains a creepy vibe, and is going to make you sway whether you want to or not. As much as I loved Chaos (it was my #3 album of that year), I'm fully behind this new sound from The Baby Seals. It also has one of my favorite crescendos of the year, so crank this one and enjoy!

Kerry of The Baby Seals says of the band's new single:

“There's a quote that I love: 'you don't have the power, you ARE the power'. When I gave birth to my son, I did it on breath alone, and I was in water (and pressing my clitoris—it sends pain relief to your body when in labour(!)) so it was a pretty magnificent centering primitive experience… I've always felt connected to water, I don't know if that's a universal experience we all have but I’ve always felt that. We're in the era of division, disinformation and polarization. It’s more important than ever to remind myself to focus on our oneness, our similarities rather than our differences. 

"Parenting also throws another slant; how do I explain the things that don't make sense, to stay in the lane of truth when it can swing from being maddeningly obvious to abstract? We can all be a mother to ourselves, to our true nature, which is inherently peaceful and unconditional, and knowing our true nature is always available to us. So, it's keeping hold of that in the current world; knowing that we are not seperate from nature and trying to put that into a song.”

You can watch the video for "Irene" below. Live At The Portland Arms Supporting Lydia Lunch is due out October 16 on Trapped Animal Recordings, and is available for pre-order through Bandcamp. For more on The Baby Seals, check out the band's website.

On Repeat...

Hiding Places - "Waiting"

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Photo by Calli Westra Brooklyn's Hiding Places are originally from North Carolina, and that sound is all over their latest single. "Waiting" has a strong alt-country meets dark indie rock sound. The song is as hypnotic as it is heartbreaking. Even if you're not paying attention to the lyrics, the vibe of the song is overwhelmingly dark and somber. There's plenty of country twang and indie rock fuzz throughout the song, with the music carrying the weight of the song as much as vocalist/guitarist Nicholas Byrne's voice does. The song is stunning, both in its beauty and mood. I feel like I've been sitting on "Waiting" for a while now until I could fully wrap my head around it. Hiding Places has something truly special here. Nicholas Byrne says of his band's latest single: "Hiding Places’ first bassist, Anthony Cozzarelli, left the band in July of 2022. I wrote the chorus the day before Anthony left the band. I recalled the slow death of my ...
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Failure - "The Air's on Fire"

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Photo by Lyndsey Byrnes With their upcoming seventh overall studio album, the highly influential band Failure will have released more albums since reuniting in 2014 than they did during their first run. The first single from that album, "The Air's on Fire," shows the band expanding their sound while still being rooted in what has always made them great. The song is a dark and moody one that is always threatening to explode but never quite does. This is an example of 90's alt-rock meets art rock at its very finest. It's the kind of song that could easily have come out thirty years ago, but that doesn't mean it sounds dated. After the first listen, "The Air's on Fire" will sound like a killer alt-rocker from a 90's band that hasn't lost a step at all. The more you listen, the more complex Failure get on the single, and the more the song reveals itself to you. Ken Andrews says of his band's latest single: “That song is directly about my ...
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Mama's Broke - "How it Ends"

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Mama's Broke, the post-folk Canadian duo of Lisa Maria and Amy Lou Keeler, have just released a break up song that might be their most accessible yet. While the previous singles from their upcoming album have a certain darkness or a sense of foreboding, "How it Ends" sounds relatively upbeat. Considering this is a song about how you never think you'll find someone as good as your ex after a break up, that's quite a feat. This is a traditional folk song with some slightly modern folk harmonies. As much heartbreak as their is in "How it Ends," there is also the warmth of remembering a recent relationship. You can listen to "How it Ends" below. Narrow Line is due out May 13 on Free Dirt Records, and can be pre-ordered here . For more on Mama's Broke, check out the artist's website .
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